Foundation garment



Dec. 15, 1964 s. L. WELSCH FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed March 21, 1963 FIG.2.

\\ mm W INVENTOR. SAMUEL L. WEL-SCH FIG. 6 BY United States Patent3,161,261 FQUNDATIGN GARR'EENT Samuel L. Welsch, East Grange, N..l'.,assignor to Lewella Foundations, Inn, Ncwarlr, Ni, a corporation of New.lersey Filed Mar. 21, 1963, Ser. No. Zddfidii 2 Claims. (til. 128-548)The present invention relates to foundation garments, and in particularto a reinforcing panel or belt for abdominal control in a foundationgarment.

In the manufacture of a wide variety of foundation garments, includinggirdles, panties, corselettes and the like, an abdominal control panelhas been incorporated into the garment to afford a more pleasingsilhouette for the wearer. One construction for such abdominal controlpanel is found in U.S. Patent No. 2,644,945 of July 14, 1953, which isassigned to the assignee of the present in vention. Experience hasindicated that known constructions do not exhibit all of the propertynecessary for commercial acceptance, including optimum abdominalcontrol, the most effective utilization of material, simplicity and easeof construction, minimum bulk, and general constructional compatabilitywith the usual foundation garment.

Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improvedfoundation garment which realizes one or more of the aforesaidobjectives. Specifically, it is within the contemplation of the presentinvention to proll-d6 a reinforcing panel or belt for abdominal controlin a foundation garment which may take the form of a corset, corselette,pantie girdle, girdle or the like.

In accordance with an illustrative embodiment demonstrating objects andfeatures of article aspects of the present invention there is provided afoundation garment which includes at least a front panel which isprincipally elastic in the girth direction of the garment. A reinforcingpanel underlies the front panel and extends between the usual sidepanels of the garment with the reinforcing panel including two side byside reinforcing members each having superposed sections joined along afold line. The superposed sections are principally elastic in directionsextending at acute angles to the girth direction and the reinforcingmembers are disposed with the fold lines continguous and in coextensiverelation and extending at right angles to the girth direction mediallyof the front panel. Provision is made for joining the reinforcingmembers to each other along the fold lines to complete the reinforcingpanel. Further, provision is made for securing the reinforcing panelbetween the side panels and beneath the front panel of the garment.

In accordance with method aspects of the present invention, areinforcing belt is manufactured for the front panel of a girdle or thelike by the steps of cutting two substantially identical reinforcingmembers each including side by side sections joined along anintermediate fold line and having a principal direction of elasticitydisposed angularly of the fold line. Each of the reinforcing members isfolded to arrange their respective sections in superposed relation andto orient the direction of elasticity of their respective sections atopposite angles to the fold line. The folded reinforcing members arearranged with the repective fold lines in coextensive and adjacentrelation and the folded members are joined to each other along the foldlines. Finally, the folded reinforcing members are joined to the frontpanel while in confronting relation thereto.

Advantageously, the reinforcing panel or belt made in accordance withthe present invention effects a distribution of the wearers stomach suchthat there issubstantially no bulge in the abdominal region and urgesthe flesh usually found on the stomach region into areas toward thegroin line, waist line and sides of the wearer.

At the same time, the construction of the reinforcing panel or belt issuch as to afford substantially no discomfort to the wearer, yetcontributes materially to the creation of a more attractive silhouette.

The above brief description as well as further objects, featuresadvantages of the present invention Will be more fully appreciated byreference to the following detailed description of a presentlypreferred, but nonetheless illustrative embodiment, demonstratingarticle and method aspects of the present invention, when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational View of a typical girdle embodyingfeatures of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged inside-out view of the girdle, with parts brokenaway to show constructional features of the reinforcing panel or beltincorporated behind the front panel of the girdle;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of one of the two identical reinforcing memberswhich make up the reinforcing panel, the reinforcing member beingshownin its unfolded condition;

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the two reinforcing members, as folded,and preliminary to being secured together along their adjacent edges;

FIG. 5 is a View similar to PG. 4, showing the twofolded reinforcingmembers as joined, with a medial elastic or binding or tape beingpartially joined thereto; and,

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 ofFIG. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows, showing thereinforcing panel or belt as secured into the completed foundationgarment.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, there is shown a foundationgarment, generally designated by the reference numeral lit, whichembodies features of the present invention. The foundation garment it)may take the form of a girdle, corset, corselette, a panty girdle or thelike; in the interest of simplicity, the invention has been shown asapplied to a girdle.

The girdle 10 includes a body 12 of essentially conventionalconstruction which includes opposed side panels l4, l6 and anintermediate front panel 18. In this illustrative embodiment, the sidepanels 14, 16 and the front panel 18 are principally elastic in thegirth direction. In that the structure of the girdle it) is essentialconventional and subject to a wide latitude of substitution, change andmodification, further description thereof is dispensed with in theinterest of brevity.

in accordance with the present invention, a reinforcing panel or belt,generally designated by the reference numeral 2h underlies the frontpanel 18 in the abdominal region of the garment and extends between andis secured to the side panels, l4, 16. The reinforcing panel or belt 29includes two side by side reinforcing member 22, 24 which are fabricatedof material which is principally elastic one direction, as indicated bythe double-head arrow E in FIG. 3, with the respective reinforcingmembers being blanked out or cut from the material such that theprincipal direction of elasticity extends at an acute angle to thehorizontal or girth direction of the garment. The reinforcing member 24is shown in unfolded condition in FIG. 3 and is seen to include side byside sections 24a, 2411 which are joined along a fold line 240. Thesection 2 5a will overlie the section 2% when folded about the fold lineZ-i-c, as may be appreciated by progressively inspecting F165. 3 and 4and is smaller than the section 24b. The smaller section 24a iscoextensive with an intermedi ate portion of the underlying section 24bsuch that the corresponding half of the completed reinforcing panel orbelt will have two plies in the portion defined by the smaller sectionEnd adjacent portions of the section 24:) project beyond the section 24asuch that the corresponding half of the reinforcing panel or belt willhave larger section 22b project beyond the section 22a such' that thecompleted reinforcing panel 2% has a single ply in the end-adjacentportions.

As seen in "FIG. 4, the respective folded superposed sections 22a, 22band 24a, 24b of the members 22, .24 are principally elastic indirections extending at acute angles to the girth direction of thegarment, with the directions of elasticity of the superposed sectionsdefining substantially identical first and second included angles withthe girth direction of the garment 1t) and defining a further angle.therebetween which is equal to the sum of the first and second angles.For example, if the principal direction of elasticityof the reinforcingmembers 22,24 is at approximately 30 to the horizontal or girthdirection,

as indicated by the directional line B in FIG. 3, the included anglesdefined by the superposed sections (i.e. superposed sections 24a, 2415)will each be at an angle of approximately 30 with the girth direction.The further angle defined between the principal directions of elasticityof the superposed sections (i.e. sections 24a, 24b).will be equal to thesum of the first and second included angles or equal to approximately60, it being noted that the included angle defined-by the uppermost andsmaller section (i.e. section 24a) extends above the girth-directionwhile the included angle defined by the larger and underly ing section(i.e. section 24b) extends below the girth direction. V

The first or smaller section 24a of the reinforcing member 24 has upperand lower edges 24d, 24c which diverge from the fold line 240, while thesection or larger section 24b has upper and lower edges 241, 24g whichconverge from the cut edges of the section 24b which extend from thefold line 24c. Similarly, the section 22a'of the reinforcing member 22has upper and lower edges 220., 222 '(see FIG. 4) which diverge from thefold line 220 and the section 22b has upper and lower edges 22 22g whichconverge relative to the fold line 220.

forcing panel or belt 20 includes two plie of material in a regioncoextensive with the respective smaller sections 22a, 24a, withsingle-ply, diamond-shaped extensions contiguous to the upper and lowerends of the reinforcing panel 20. The diamond-shaped, single-plyextension con- 7 tiguous to the upper end of the panel 20 is bounded byedges 22d, 22 and 24d, 24) and is somewhat smaller than the lowerdiamond-shaped, single-ply extension which is bounded by edges 22a, 22gand 24s, 24g. The reinforcing members 22, 24 are initially cut such thatthe completed reinforcing panel or belt 20 will be of progressivelygreater width from the upper end to the lower end, with the oppositeside thereof curved such that they will lie along the opposite sides18a, 13b of the front panel 18.

The completed reinforcing panel or belt 20 is positioned against theinner face of the front panel 18 in the abdominal portion, as seen inFIG. 2, and is stitched in position such that the free edges or marginsof the superposed sections of the reinforcing members 22, 24 arestitched to each other and to the front panel 18. Specifically, and asseen best in FIGS. 1 and 2, the stitching 34, 36 which shaped extensionsof the reinforcing panel 20 to each other and to the correspondingportion of the front panel 18.

From the. foregoing, it will be appreciated that the manufacture of thereinforcing belt 20 for the front panel 18 of the foundation garmentinvolves the cutting of the 'two substantially identical reinforcingmembers 22, 24. each of which include side by'side sections joined alongan intermediate fold line and having a principal direction of elasticitydisposed angularly of the respective fold lines. The reinforcing members22, 24 are folded to arrange their respective sections in superposedrelation, as may be appreciated by progressively inspecting FIGS. 3 and4, which orients the direction of elasticity of the respective sectionsat opposite angles to the fold line. Thereupon, the folded reinforcingmembers 22, 24 are arranged with'their respective fold lines incoextensive and adjacent relation and the folding reinforcing members22, 24 are stitched to each other along the fold lines as by the line ofstitching 26 and the further stitching 30, 32 which secure the elasticstrip 28 over the folded and stitched medial portion of the reinforcingpanel 20. Finally, the margins of the folded reinforcing members 22, 24are stitched to each other and to the front .panel, as seen in FIGS. 1and 2. 1 i In actual-manufacture, the two reinforcing members 22, 24ersfabricated of any appropriate power-knit material which has oneprincipal or main direction of elasticity, with the respective membersbeing cut such that elasticity extends at'an angle to the horizontal orgirth of the foundation garment. Only one pattern is cut for thereinforcing members 22,24 since thc'material is reversible. members 22,24- and the folding thereof, the resulting reinforcing belt or panel20has the same effect as if it were initially fabricated of fourseparate sections. It will therefore be appreciated that there has beena substantial reduction in complexity and handling in the preliminarysub-assembly of the reinforcing panel 20.

When the reinforcing panel 20 is incorporated into the completedgarment, there will be regions corresponding to the sections 22a, 24a ofthe reinforcing panel 20 which, in the overall garment, will have threeplies or thicknesses of material, to wit, the coextensive portion of thefront panel which is principally elastic in the girth direction of thegarment, the intermediate plies 22b, 24b which are principally elasticin a direction at an acute angle relative 'to the girth direction, andthe innermost plies 22a, 24a which are principally elastic in adirection at an opposite acute angle to the girth direction. Thus in thethree-ply region there is maximum abdomen control above and below thethree-ply region, the diamondshaped extension of the reinforcing panel20 and the coextensive regions of the front panel 18 provide two plieswhich exert'sornewhat less abdomen reinforcement and preclude a sharpdiscontinuity in control such that there is a gradual transitionaboveand below the medial portion of the reinforcing panel 20 to theremainder of the garment which facilitates a corresponding gradualdistribution of the flesh from the abdomen region towards the waist andgroin lines of the garment.

A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in theforegoing disclosure and in some instances some features of theinvention will be employed with- By the unique shape of the respectivereinforcing What I claim is: p

1. A foundation garment comprising a body including opposed side panelsand a front panel extending there between, said front panel beingprincipally elastic in the girth direction of said garment, and areinforcing panel underlying said front panel and extending between saidside panels, said reinforcing panel including two side by sideinterconnected identical reinforcing members, each of said reinforcingmembers being comprised of a single blank of stretchable fabric which isprincipally elastic at an acute angle to the girth direction of thegarment and is folded upon itself along a substantially vertical foldline to present in a folded condition a first section and a superposedsecond section having opposing directions of elasticity at an acuteangle to the girth direction of the garment, said first section of eachreinforcing memher having generally triangular segments at opposite endsthereof extending beyond said second section, the base of each extendingtriangular segment lying on a substantially vertical line contiguouswith said substantially vertical fold line, said reinforcing membersbeing interconnected along the confronting respective fold lines andsaid contiguous base edges to each other and along opposite edges remotetherefrom to each of said side panels.

2. A foundation garment comprising a body including opposed side panelsand a front panel extending therebetween, said front panel beingprincipally elastic in the girth direction of said garment, and areinforcing panel underlying said front panel and extending between saidside panels, said reinforcing panel including two side by sideinterconnected identical reinforcing members, each of said reinforcingmembers being comprised of a single blank of stretchable fabric which isprincipally elastic at an acute angle to the girth direction of thegarment and is folded upon itself along a substantially vertical foldline to present in a folded condition a first section and a superposedsecond section having opposing directions of elasticity at an acuteangle to the girth direction of the garment, said first section of eachreinforcing member having an upper and a comparatively larger lowergenerally triangular segment extending beyond said second section, thebase of each extending triangular segment lying on a substantiallyvertical line contiguous with said substantially vertical fold line,said reinforcing members being interconnected along the confrontingrespective vertical fold lines and said contiguous base edges to eachother and along opposite edges remote therefrom to each of said sidepanels.

References (Cited by the Examiner UNiTED STATES PATENTS 2,644,945 7/53Lewis 128-548 2,966,912 1/61 Murdock 128-540 3,026,875 3/62 Kauppl28-547 3,044,471 7/62 Morehouse 128548 LOUIS R. PRINCE, PrimaryExaminer.

ADELE M. EAGER, Examiner.

1. A FOUNDATION GARMENT COMPRISING A BODY INCLUDING OPPOSED SIDE PANELSAND A FRONT PANEL EXTENDING THEREBETWEEN, SAID FRONT PANEL BEINGPRINCIPALLY ELASTIC IN THE GIRTH DIRECTION OF SAID GARMENT, AND AREINFORCING PANEL UNDERLYING SAID FRONT PANEL AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAIDSIDE, PANELS, SAID REINFORCING PANEL INCLUDING TWO SIDE BY SIDEINTERCONNECTED IDENTICAL REINFORCING MEMBERS, EACH OF SAID REINFORCINGMEMBERS BEING COMPRISED OF A SINGLE BLANK OF STRETCHABLE FABRIC WHICH ISPRINCIPALLY ELASTIC AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO THE GIRTH DIRECTION OF THEGARMENT AND IS FOLDED UPON ITSELF ALONG A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL FOLDLINE TO PRESENT IN A FOLDED CONDITION A FIRST SECTION AND A SUPERPOSEDSECOND SECTION HAVING OPPOSING DIRECTIONS OF ELASTICITY AT AN ACUTEANGLE TO THE GIRTH DIRECTION OF THE GARMENT, SAID FIRST SECTION OF EACHREINFORCING MEMBER HAVING GENERALLY TRIANGULAR SEGMENTS AT OPPOSITE ENDSTHEREOF EXTENDING BEYOND SAID SECOND SECTION, THE BASE OF EACH EXTENDINGTRIANGULAR SEGMENT LYING ON A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL LINE CONTIGUOUSWITH SAID SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL FOLD LINE, SAID REINFORCING MEMBERSBEING INTERCONNECTED ALONG THE CONFRONTING RESPECTIVE FOLD LINES ANDSAID CONTIGUOUS BASE EDGES TO EACH OTHER AND ALONG OPPOSITE EDGES REMOTETHEREFROM TO EACH OF SAID PANELS.